Machine for cutting embroidery.



M. SCHOENFBLD.

MACHINE FOR CUTTING EMBROIDERY.

APPLICATION FILED FEB.2, 1912.

Patented Sept. 2, 1913.

32. Z 5] to;

9710 XWQ witnesses:

M. SCHOENPELD.

MACHINE FOR CUTTING EMBROIDERY.

APPLICATION FILED FEB.2,1912.

Patented Sept. 2, 1913.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

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UNITED STATES, PACr T OFFICE.

Mm SCIIQEKTELD, OF ROBSCBAUH, SWITZERLAND, momma For. comma Emnnommw.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, MORRIS Sononmma), a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Rorschach, in the Canton of St. Gall, Switzerland, have invented a new and useful Machine for Cutting Embroidery, of which'the following is a specification.

My invention relates to that class of machine which is used for cutting out fabric along an embroidered edge, especially where the embroidery is on a curved or irregular line, in order that the fabric will be severed close to and according to the contour of the outer edge of the embroidery. V

The present invention relates more particularly to the device for transporting the main portion of the fabric toward and from the point at which the fabric is cut., In my copendin application, Serial Number 645444 fied August 22,1911 I showed a complete machine of this character. The machine shown in that application may be employed as part of the present structure by substituting such parts as are herein new for the corresponding parts of the said machine. As the complete machine is described and shown in the said application I will only describe such parts of the cutting device as may be necessary to teach the application of my present invention to a machine of that type; but it is to be understood that my present invention is not limited in its use to the particular kind of cutting mechanism shown in the said application.

The object of my resent invention is to provide a very simp e, and effective device for transporting the fabric in relation to the cutting knife and to simultaneously stretch the fabric in the direction in which it is propelled so that the fabric will be prevented from wrinkling and forming creases at the point at which the cutting member operates.

Another advantage in the present device is that I provide efiicient means for reventing the main'portion of the fabric rom being moved laterally so that proper tension maybe placed upon the severed portion of the fabric without danger of drawing the embroidery into the knife and thus endangering the operation of cutting the fabric in close proximity to the embroidered edge.

In carrying out the above I have provided a traveling elt over which is arranged a pressin device cooperating with the belt to vplace te proper tension upon the fabric; device consists of independwhich pressing Specification of Letters Patent.- A 'pneation filed February 2, 1912. serial No. 675,018.

Patented Sept. 2, 1913.

ently movable elements adapted to conform to the different thicknesses of the embroidered material. The belt is provided with means for engaging the fabric in such a manner that the latter isprevented from moving laterally while it is being transported.

In the drawings forming :3. art of this appllcatlon, Figure 1, is a side elevation showing my present invention as applied to a mach1ne of the character shown in my sald copending application, F i 2, is a plan view thereof showing the relation of the transportlng device to the cutting device, Fig. 3, 1s a cross section of the same and corresponds with Fig. 4,.of my said copendng application, FigA, 1s a plan view showmg the cutting device and a portion of tho transporting belt,- Fig. 5, is an enlarged sectiona view showin the transporting belt andthe cutting knife, and Fi 6, is a cross section of the transporting be t.

-In the present drawing I have shown the standards 1 and 2 which su port a table 3. Over one end of this table have shown a bracket 5, in a vertical journal socket of WlllCll is arranged a revoluble shaft 6. Upon the lower end of this shaft I have arranged a circular knife 7, which is guarded for the greater portion of its circumference by a guard 8, carried upon the support 5. Upon the table 4, are arranged suitable guides or tracks 9, in which there is guided a movable bed 10, which is adjustable toward and from the knife by means of a screw 11, engaging in a stationary number 12. The bed 10 is provided at one end with a raised rib 13, which projects preferably above the plane of the edge of the knife and its surface 14 is shaped to conform to the cutting edge of the knife; that is, the edge is formed circular. Upon a suitable plate 15, which is secured uponthe bed 10, and movable therewith, is a guiding member 16, which is arranged below the knife and is spaced apart from and arranged to conform to, the shape of the surface 14. This guiding member is spaced apart from the sur' face 14 sufficiently to provide a guiding slot 17, for the passage of the severed strip of material as it is propelled downwardly from the point at which it is severed from the main fabric. I have also arranged the curved plate 18, upon the member 16, for the purpose of insuring the lendin of the edge of the fabric under the kni e edge.

The elements so far described correspond with similar elements in my said copending application and while I prefer to arrange the cutting device in this manner I do not wish to convey the idea that my present transporting device is limited 1n its use to this kind of cutting device although there are many advantages to be obtained from this conjoint use.

Above the movable member 10, I have arranged a bed plate 19, which is supported upon standards'l and 2, whlch are spaced apart sufiiciently to allow the propellmg belt to travel between them. Upon standards 20, 21, I have arranged a roller 24, mounted to revolve on an axle 23, journaled in the standards; and spaced from the said roller 24 I have mounted a roller 26, upon an axle 27 journaled in these standards. I have shown the standards 20, and 21, spaced apart and on opposite sides of the bed 19, and its supports, and I have shown the standards 1, 2, spaced from each other the width of the propelling belt. Mounted in advance of the roller 24, I have arranged standards 28, which support the pair of rollers 29, and 30, which are mounted upon axles 31 and 32. These rollers are arranged to cooperate in the propelling of the fabric 33, bet-ween them and are adapted to feed the material forward in such a manner with relation to the propelling belt, as to cause the fabric to be stretched as it is moved forward.

An endless belt 34, is arranged to travel over the peripheries of rollers 24 and 26 and upon the upper run the belt travels over the bed plate 19, and preferably in contact therewith. The roller 26, is propelled in any suitable manner and preferably by means of belt 36, acting upon the pulley 35, on the end of shaft 27. The cutting knife severs the fabric approximately at the point 37, and therefore the upper run of the propelling belt travels toward and beyond the point of cutting.

I have arranged upon the propelling belt a number of elements for frict-ionally engagincr the fabric for the purpose of holding the fabric against lateral movement while the main portion of the fabric is being propelled in relation to the knife. These elements are preferably in the nature of lat eral wires 38, extending across the outer face of the belt and having their ends 39, looped around each edge of the beltand firmly pressed into contact with the latter. These members are preferably arranged at comparatively close intervals throughout the belt. They are provided with teeth 40, which are preferably arranged to slant laterally of the belt surface. arranged these teeth with a long surface 41, meeting a shorter surface 42, at an acute angle so that the teeth may be said to slant I have in fact arm 43, extending outwardly therefrom to a position over the propelling belt. The end of this arm is provided with a socket 44, in which a vertically movable. shaft 45, is guided by means of flange 46. Within the pocket 44, I have arranged a coiled spring 47, which contacts at one end with the upper flange 46 and its lower end with a head 48, carried upon the shaft; and the tendency of the spring is to force the shaft 45 downwardly. From the head 48, I have shown forwardly and rearwardly extending plates 49, arranged over the propelling belt and preferably nearer that'side of the belt which approaches the point of cutting. The

purpose of the plates 49, is to support a num- 9 ber of shoes 50. The latter are shown of comparatively narrow width parallel to each other and extending-in the same direction as the movement of the fabric. I have shown these shoes curved upwardly at each end 51, in order that the same Wlll not dig into the fabric or embroidery thereon. I

have provided means whereby each of these shoes may independently rise and fall as the fabric is propelled under them in order that they may conform to the different thicknesses of the plain and embroidered portions of the fabric. For this purpose I have provided at each end of the shoes 50, abolt 52, extending through the plates 49, and movable in the latter but secured to the shoes. Surrounding the bolts 52, and arranged between the plates 49, and the shoes 50, are coil springs 53. Upon a lug 54, which I rictional contact with the belt in 70 have formed integral with the arm 43, I

have fulcrumed a lever 55, one end of which extends through a slot 56, in the shaft 45. The free end 57 of this lever serves as an operatin handle and by means of this lever the sha t 45, and therefore the pressing Operation :The fabric is received from.

any source of supply between the rollers 30, and 29, which frictionally contact with the fabric; and the speed of these rollers is so controlled in relation to the propelling belt that they willcause a slight retarding action upon the fabric in order that the propelling belt and cooperating shoes will stretch the fabric at the same time that the latter is propelled. From the rollers 29 and 30 the fabric is carried by the belt 34, toward 13o humane and beyond the point a which the knife "severs the fabric; and beyond the point ofcutting the main portion 33 of the fabric.

is wound upon the rollerscr disposed of in any desired way; As the fabric travels afterleaving the rollers 29 and 30 it lies upon the belt 34, or rather upon the cross bars 38, and as it reaches the front ends of the several shoes 5'0, the latter acting under the tension of their respective springs 53 press the fabric into-close contact with the teeth of the wires 38 and suilicient friction is produced between the teeth and the fabric to cause the latter to be propelled lengthwise over the supporting bed and beyond the point of cutting. As the shoes 50, are resiliently supported by their springs and the under surfaces ofthe shoes are smooth-the propelling belt will convey the fabric without injury to the latter. The propelling belt wil l'be arranged to travel at a slightly fabric will not only be propelled lengthwise toward and beyond the point at which the knife operates but the belt will slip i tion is led downwardl on. the fabric and the latter will be stretched in the direction of its length and in the direction of its movement. The severed portion 33 of the fabric-in the machineof the type shown in my said copending applicafrom the point of cutting and it is desira 1e to propel the se vered strip away from the point of cutting,

but the propelling action upon the severed .strip especially when the main portion is itself propelled, is apt to cause the embroidery edge 33 to be drawn into the edge of the knife and this of course, would destroy the embroidery and make the machine impracticable. In the present device not only do the shoes 50 by reason of their side edges 50 tend to prevent any lateral movement of the main portion of the fabric while it is being propelled, but the teeth 40 engage the fabric in such a manner that the fabric will not be moved laterally even though the pressure of the shoes 50, upon the fabric is comparatively light as it must necessarily be. The present device not only propels and simultaneously stretches the main portion of the fabric without the use of too great a pressure upon the fabric, but it is also possible to prevent lateral displacement of the fabric in order to prevent the embroidery from being drawn into contact with the knife edge. This makes it possible to propel both the main portion of the fabric and the separate strip and to accurately cut the fabric close to the embroidery edge without-injuring the latter.

Waring described my invention what I claim is 1. In a machine for cutting fabric along an embroidered edge, a revoluble knife argreater speed than the peripheralspeed of the rollers 29, and 30 so that theranged to cut the fabric, a bed plate, 'means for feeding the fabric and frictional means for smoothing the'fabric where it passes the said knife, comprising an endless belt and means for operating the same to cause the belt to slip over the surface of th fabric.

'2. In a machine for cutting fabric along an embroidered edge, a revoluble knife tillranged to cut the fabric, means for feeding the fabric and frictional means for smoothing the fabric where it pames said knife,

comprising cotiperating means operating-on opposite surfaces of the fabric to press the latter between them, one of said means bein of t e fabric and the other consisting of an endless belt, and means for operating the belt to cause it to slip on the surface :of the fabric. l

3. In a machine for cutting fabric along an embroidered edge, a movable knife arranged to out the fabric, means for propelling the fabric to and from the point of cutting and simultaneously stretching the fabric in the direction of its movement, embodying a movable belt, means cooperating therewlth to frictionally engage the fabric, and laterally spaced wires secured to the belt and having teeth directed away from the point of cutting and adapted to prevent lateral movement of the fabric during its movement past the point of cutting and during the stretching of the fabric.

4. In a machine for cutting fabric along an embroidered edge, a movable knife arran ed to cut the fabric, and means for propelllng the fabric to and from the point of cutting and simultaneously stretching the fabric in the direction of its movement, embodying a movable belt and a plurality of shoes an'angcd-stationary as to the direction of movement of the fabric and individually movable up and down, said shoes being spaced apart laterally of the belt and arranged longitudinally in the direction of the movement of the fabric and springs for causing said shoes to press the fabric into contact with said belt.

5. In a machine for cutting fabric along an embroidered edge, a movable knife arranged to cut the fabric, and means for propelling the fabric to and from the point of cutting and simultaneously stretchin the fabric in the direction of its length, em odying a movable belt and a plurality of shoes arranged stationary as to the direction of movement of the fabric and individually movable up and down, said shoes being spaced apart laterally of the belt and arranged longitudinally in the direction of the movement of the fabric, springs for causing said shoes to press the fabric into contact with said belt and a supporting bed for the belt where the latter coiiperates with said shoes.

6. In a machine for cutting fabric along an embroidered edge, a movable knife arranged to cut the fabric, and means for propolling the fabric to and from the point of cutting and simultaneously stretching the fabric in the direction of its movement embodying a braking roller, a movable belt havino members provided with teeth, and a pluraity of shoes arranged upon a common support, aspring for moving said support and means for raising said support against the action of said spring, said shoes being disposed longitudinally in the direction of movement of the fabric and s aced apart laterally, and springs for indivi ually ressing the said shoes into cooperative re ation with said teeth to hold the fabric.

7. In a machine for cuttin fabric alon an embroidered edge, a mova ble knife an means for propelling and stretching the main portion of the fabric, comprising feed rollers between which the fabric is adapted to be propelled in advance of the point of cutting means for propelling the main portion of the fabric and arranged to operate thereon beyond the point of cutting, said .latter means being arranged to o erate at greater speed than the said fee rollers, whereby the fabricwill be stretched between said rollers and said propelling means in the direction in which the fabric is pro"- pelled.

Signed in the city, county and State of New York,'this 29th day 'of January 1912. MORRIS SGHOENFELD. Witnesses:

ARTHUR K. KUHN, CHAS. J. CAVANAGH. 

